This invention relates to a new and improved fabric, and more specifically to a heat conductive fabric having interlocked, multilayers of yarn whose fibers are metallic or are coated with a metallic, heat conductive material.
Single layer fabrics have been utilized in the past for heat dissipation purposes, such as in solar panels, in glass backing, etc. These fabrics are manufactured on conventional equipment from glass yarns whose fibers are coated with a metallized material such as aluminum, and so forth. While a single layer of fabric may be suitable in situations where only moderate amounts of heat are generated, multiple fabric layers are desired where a large amount of heat dissipation is necessary. Prior art multiple fabric layers of metallized yarns that are employed to conduct heat have either been fused together with a resin coating or with a resin impregnation; the intention was to increase fabric strength and improve heat conduction of the fabric. However, in both cases, heat conduction using separate, fused fabric layers have proven unsatisfactory because the heat tends to flow laterally to the periphery of the fabric rather than perpendicularly through the fabric itself.
There is required a multilayer, heat conductive fabric which produces an effective and uniform heat conduction through the fabric layers, and also if desired, laterally to the periphery of the fabric.